In My Own Words (Part Two)
by Nothing Really Specific
Summary: Reepicheep continues to tell his personal account of the voyage across the sea. When Reepicheep starts reading Tilden's journal, he realizes the horrors of war as a new enemy surfaces to face him. Also battle lines are drawn when our hero gets betrayed. Part Two of a three part trilogy and multiple part series that features Reep and Hyperion (my OC). PLEASE REVIEW!
1. Chapter 1: A Beautiful Angel in Despair

**In My Own Words**

**Part Two**

**RATED M: HOLOCAUST REFERENCES. **

**THIS CHAPTER WAS INSPIRED BY "NIGHT" A MEMOIR BY ELIE WISEL**

**Chapter One: A Beautiful Angel Shrouded in Despair**

" Sie töten."

_Kill them. _

The crew looked on, a passion, a fire in their eyes. An urge to kill. They charged at once. Left, right, over and over like a stampede they pushed forward, lunging and stabbing at us like wild beasts. Their conscious became clouded, their minds not their own. I didn't want to kill anyone, they were (still are) my comrades, but there was no other way around it. Himmler had caught me in the inescapable trap of fear and I was falling deep into it. An archer by the name of Linus came up from behind me, he drew a dagger, me my trusted blade. We skirmished. The blood and gore of it all made me sick. I thought I wouldn't be able to forgive myself. Then I remembered who was at fault. Heinrich Luitpold Himmler.

The rain washed the blood to the west side of the deck. As Tilden fought the crew and Hyperion slowly broke his bonds, I stood alone, watching Himmler, whose wolfish grin and demonic stare filled my soul with rage and fury. He smiled at me, "This is on what happens to the world." He said. "It burns, it dies, but it is rebuilt by the strong, by the superior, by the National Socialist German Worker's Party." He extended his arm in a forty-five degree angle, "Hail Hitler!"

"What did you say?" Tilden said turning around looking at Himmler as if he had spoke some kind of trigger word. Himmler smiled, his arm still raised, "Hail Hitler!" He repeated. Tilden charged, his blade becoming an extension of his arm, he trusted towards Himmler's kneecap. He fell. "Do you really think you can win Tilden?" Himmler said. "Do you really believe that you can stop me?"

I looked over towards them, my comrades continued their effort, this time they fought against themselves. I blindly ignored them, my attention was on Himmler, I despised him, I wanted to see him dead. He caused all this, this pain, this suffering, but he was not my battle. At the moment Tavros was.

The minotaur swung his axe at me like a champion, as if he had never lost a battle. That, unfortunately was true. Tavros never lost before, he was always victorious. Every. Single. Time. Part of me was proud of him that he was trying to kill me, the other part was me trying not to kill him. "Tavros!" I called, trying to knock some sense into him. He swung his axe towards me in a sweeping motion. "I'll kill you!" He screamed, his veins coursing with vengeful blood. I moved towards Hyperion, who was almost free of his bonds. Tavros laughed despicably as he caught me in a corner. He swung at the mast, making it shake and wobble. I was underneath the bull now, had the opportunity to strike but didn't, he was (still is) my friend after all. Bits of wood fell on my head as Tavros dislodged his axe from the mast. The creaking and splitting of wood made me worry that the mast was going to fall over. Then we'd be at the complete mercy of the sea. Hyperion who was above Tavros' head, clawed his back with both talons, digging into his flesh. "Hyperion!" I said. "Don't kill him!"

"I don't plan to." The owl said. Tavros stood up, bringing Hyperion with him. Free of his bonds, the owl very carefully removed himself from Tavros' back and flew directly for Himmler. Talons like razors, eyes like fire, the owl never flew so fast in his life. Himmler smiled, for he now had Tilden in his hand, holding him like a piece of meat, and Himmler looked hungry. He laughed, "I'm going to have so much fun killing you." He paused, savoring the moment, "Verabschieden Sie sich von Ihrem Arzt." He lifted Tilden into the air and opened his mouth as if he were about to drop him in and it looked to be the end until Hyperion rammed him head first to the ground. Tilden fell, to the deck. He looked over and saw Hyperion, stand valiantly over Himmler. His feathers gleamed in the rain, the moonlight brought out his eyes, which I'm not afraid to say, were quite beautiful.

"Do it Hyperion," Himmler said, "kill me, end it all!" Hyperion raised his talon and broke Himmler's skin, just over the heart. He dug deep, shattering the rib cage, slowly but surely grabbing the heart. squeezing it like a ball. He lifted. The body moved up, the bones cracked under sheer force, the heart slowly broke the skin. Hyperion displayed it like a trophy. It was inhumanly large, black, disgusting, dripping with black blood, and had pieces of the rib cage still attached. The owl used his other talon and wiped the heart off, letting it fall back into the massive hole that now occupied the center of Himmler's torso. There was no question that he was dead.

The fighting stopped. I looked around. Deformed bodies, amputated limbs, gore, exposed bone and eaten flesh were everywhere. The crew had shown their untamed un-controlling nature for malicious violence. Caspian was beaten and bruised, having several deep wounds on his torso and back. Tavros' left eye had been plucked from its socket, hanging down from its muscle like a dead drunk. The archer Linus was dead, his corpse mauled. Every single man lamented, cursing their inner demons to crawl into abysses and die there. I looked at Tilden, he walked around to each man, dead, alive, those clinging to their last breath, those standing and breathing and bowed his head once. No one dared answered him back, no one moved. They simply looked at him, and the next person he would come to. When he got to Hyperion the owl cried out a defensive call, placed his right wing over his heart, and bowed, pledging his eternal service. When he got to me, I stuck my blade in the floor of the deck, took a knee reverently and submitted myself to him. "My sword is yours."

Tilden smiled at me and told me to stand, he then bowed very low to the ground and said, "Thank you brother." He stood, the rain continued on.

Edmund, who's arm was badly wounded looked around, "Has anyone seen Lucy?" He asked. Everyone did a double take, feeling certain that she was on the deck too, but she was nowhere to be seen. "Well," Caspian said, "let's spread out and search, she can't be in that many places." So we did. Most of the crew checked the quarters and the Captain's room. Tilden the closets, I climbed up the mast to the crow's nest to see if she was anywhere around the ship, hoping that she didn't jump, but I was checking just to be safe. Hyperion checked the cellar.

Since I wasn't there and have no recollection of this, I wrote down everything Hyperion told me. Here he is, in his own words:

_I flew down into the cellar, checking every last barrel, crate, and corner for the girl. While I was rummaging through the bread and wheat, the ship rocked back and forth, the rain roared outside. A storm was coming. The candles in the cellar were burning out. A closet was near me. I looked inside. I never knew this girl, this young woman, but I wish I had. I have never felt so low, so insecure, so hopeless before. Here, tucked away in the bowels of the ship, like a beast of Hell, stood an angel. A beautiful angel shrouded in despair, clothed in blood, and wrapped in a sorrowful expression. Her hair was her gag, a piece of barbed wire was wrapped around her neck and hung like a noose from a bar that hung near the top of the closet. Blood came from her neck, and bruises were down her arms and side. She was stripped down, exposed to the world, bearing the mark of death. A Swastika, etched in her own blood across her chest. Her eyes were a calming blue, the only light left in the world. Below her feet were a dagger and a potion, and a note that said one word. "Innocence." _

He told me this while I was still in the crow's nest. I stopped breathing, my heart stopped beating. I bent down and cried my tears of deep sorrow. "I'm going to kill that bastard." I said underneath my tears. "I'm going to put his head on a pike."

Hyperion placed his wing on my shoulder, in comfort and in sympathy, "Let's go then." He picked me up gently by the talons and flew me down to the deck. Everyone was still looking for Lucy. Caspian who was up on deck saw us descend and walked over. "Did you find her?" He asked. I nodded, "Show him Hyperion."

Hyperion led me, Tilden, Caspian, Edmund, and Tavros to the closet where Lucy was. He didn't miss a single detail, everything was correct. Edmund's heart grew black, I could see it in his eyes. "I'll kill him!" He said pulling out his sword looking around the room, "Where is he? I want to slit his throat!"

"Himmler is dead." Tilden answered, "Your vengeance has already been achieved."

Edmund looked at Hyperion with disdain. "It's not his fault," Tilden said, looking at the carnage, as if he was expecting anything else but foul play. "it's just, peculiar." He said, looking at the note with the soul word. He picked it up. "Innocence." he repeated, flipping the note over. There was something on the other side. He quickly threw it back in the closet. He would never speak a word of it.

We went back up to the deck, most of the ship was a mess, and the crew had gone to bed. Himmler's body was gone. A scream of terror.

We all rushed down into the quarters and saw Eustace, very much alive and standing on his knees on the floor. He was screaming for bloody murder. "Please!" He shouted, "Help m-m-m-m-m..." he couldn't finish his sentence. Tilden walked over to him, inspecting his eyes, they were snow white. "He's being possessed." He said turning towards us.

"By who?" I apparently had asked a stupid question.

"Who do you think!" Tilden shouted. Eustace's eyes changed from white to gray and then to pitch black. His voice bellowed. "You." He reached for him. Hyperion flew towards him and clawed his talon. "Come at me you bastard!" The owl said. Eustace turned, grabbing his bleeding hand screamed, "Damn you!" He said, getting up and charging straight for the owl, who didn't move or flinch. When Eustace was close enough, Hyperion flipped over him. Eustace turned and disappeared into an unforgettable black mist. The owl knew what was coming next, he turned towards us, "Run, don't look back." He said. A sword appeared, stabbing Hyperion in the chest and moved in an upward motion, slicing the owl virtually in two. He fell, Himmler appeared again, smiling from ear to ear. "Which one do you save?" He said. "The boy or the loyal friend?" Edmund didn't hesitate, "The boy." He answered. Himmler laughed, "Very well." He said and disappeared. Tilden looked at him, "Are you insane!" he said. "Hyperion was our weapon!"

"Well I'm sorry, but I don't care." Edmund said. "My sister is dead, Eustace is all I got left now." Tilden sighed, "You don't understand do you?" He said turning towards all of us. "He was the only one who understood how to end it. How to get rid of this, and now he's gone." He sighed, looking up at Edmund, "I appreciate your zeal to save your family, and I'm sorry about your loss, but you have no idea how much Hyperion means to me. He could've stopped this _and_ saved Eustace but now that has become impossible."

"What does he know?" Edmund asked. "What can defeat it?"

"I don't know," Tilden answered, "but Hyperion did, and now we're just going to live in fear for the rest of our lives thanks to you."

"Whatever happening to fear not existing?" I said.

"That philosophy dear Reepicheep," Tilden said, "died with the girl, and it was clarified by Hyperion. Fear," he said, "is the absolute death of Hope, and I have officially lost it." He walked back into the rain. The rest of us went to sleep. The wind and the rain howled all night, masking Tilden's tears and wails.**  
**


	2. Chapter 2: TwoDragons- The First Kind

**Chapter Two: There are Two Kinds of Dragons- The First Kind**

I had trouble sleeping again, all I could think about was Eustace, Lucy, my two friends that I would never see again. "No," I said to himself, "it will not end like this. It can't." I pulled out Tilden's journal, flipped to a page and started reading. "January 13th, 1942. I have just received word from my friend, Gustavo, who's living in the Warsaw Jewish Ghetto...

_"Things are bad here." He said. "It can't be worse than Hell, if that's where you are. I pray that you are safe everyday my friend. Your wife and children are safe, and we're getting by for now, plan of getting out of the city once spring hits. I'll keep you posted." _

_Thank God for friends like Gustavo. An Italian sandwich maker from Rome, he was always the type of sort you could depend on for anything. Food, shelter, protection, he'd give and do anything for you if you were a decent, hardworking person. The only human being I know who would do that. Gustavo Esposito._

_A patient came in the other day, a young girl by the name of Marian von Abler. An Austrian from Vienna, she comes from a proud family of diplomats. Her father, Erik, is a military man, she told me, and believes in The Third Reich. I asked her why she was here then, she answered. "Because I am my mother's child, and my mother is a Jew." I asked her where her mother was. She said that she hasn't seen her all day and that she was worried about her. I assured her that she was alright and there was nothing to worry about. I asked her what her mother's name was. "Ellen." she said, "but her friends call her Ellie." I then gave her a standard check up, to change conversation and the mood. _

_"199,999!" Marian's number was called. She left and someone else entered. _

_That night I scurried out. Cries of unspeakable pain and prayers wishing God to end their lives rang out like a cathedral bell. _

_I searched every hut, every possible place for Marian's mother to be in. I was just about to give up when I smelled burning rubber and heard the bursting of the heart from extreme heat, blood boiling, bones cracking, and those who were still breathing, deafening screams, covered with gas, poison, and blood. I followed the hellish sounds and found a pit of dead, naked deformed bodies, twisted about themselves like Gothic devils, stretching out their hands to God, but he would not take them. A burst of moving fire, I looked over and saw a German with a flamethrower, spraying in a back and forth motion, the fire removed the evidence, but I didn't see a German holding a flamethrower. I saw the Devil, pissing on the world, laughing as he incarcerated the hope of Europe._

The next morning I awoke, I peered my head out underneath me, my instinctive habit was to tell Eustace to wake up but then I remembered that the boy was dead. On the floor there were candles, Edmund was sitting there, meditating, thinking, planning, I honestly don't know. I looked at him. "Something troubling you?" I asked. Edmund looked at me, his eyes were dark, his hair was blacker than usual, his smile was wicked and demon like. "My family is dead," he said, "all because some mouse decided to show up and give you a pity party."

"Are you saying this is Tilden's fault?" I asked him. Edmund nodded and stood. "Don't you feel that way?" He asked. I stood from my cot and jumped on his shoulder. We walked up the stairs and onto the deck, Tilden was busy tending to the wounded.

"There, there now," he said, tending to an archer with a severed limb, "it's going to be alright." The archer fidgeted around. "Are you Reepicheep's brother?" He asked. Tilden smiled, "Depends on who you ask, but geologically no. My father was a doctor, my mother was a nurse, just sort of worked out that way. They met in London, and a few years after marriage, had me and my brother Ratchet, and another brother, a third."

"What happened to the other one?" The archer asked.

"He was a stillbirth." Tilden answered. He finished his work and packed up his surgical materials. He pulled out a small bottle of medication from his bag, "Here," he said, "take this once a day every day, it will help with the pain." The archer nodded and stood. "Thank you Doctor Wavell." Tilden bowed, "I wouldn't use your bow anytime soon, heal first, fight later." The archer nodded, "I'll keep that in mind."

We walked towards him, "Tilden," Edmund said. The mouse turned and smiled, "Oh, Mr. Edmund, how good it is to see you." I watched Edmund approach him, militant strides of terror. "Your Majesty," I said. Edmund stopped and turned to me, "What is it?" He asked. "Reconsider what you're about to do." I continued, I looked at Tilden, hoping that he would get the message, thankfully he did, he just stood there smugly.

Edmund leaned down to his eye level, I got off his shoulder and stood to the side. Edmund pulled his blade. "My sister is dead, my cousin is dead, and you look very guilty." Tilden laughed sinisterly to himself as he pulled his blade also. "And you are blinded by cowardice and fear." Tilden said, getting into Edmund's face. "I suggest you step into the light Mr. Pevensie."

"I am a King!" Edmund shouted.

Tilden smiled, "Not to me, and frankly not to anyone."

"You take that back." Edmund said, daring his blade towards Tilden. The mouse was un-swayed.

"Go ahead and kill me. Finish it, end it all, save the world." Tilden dared, "Avenge all your fear, caress me with your death and damn me. Damn me to Hell and back, I frankly don't care, but I'm sure the Germans will." He sheathed his blade, "I await your move dear sir, you title stripped, egotistical fool. You who think of death as an option, who uses murder as a tool for justice." He laughed a laugh of pity, "You kill me the Germans kill you, this story of yours, this fantasy of power you have ends, all of this will be gone. So I say again, go ahead and kill me." Edmund pulled his blade back and was about to do him in, I stood in the way. "Your Majesty!" I cried, meeting his blade with my own. "Reepicheep," Edmund said, "stand down." I didn't move. "I can't let you do this."

"He started all of this!" Edmund said, "It would be better for all of us if he were dead."

"Would you be willing to commit murder sir?" I asked, holding my ground. Tilden gathered his medical bag and slung it over his shoulder. "For the good of many yes." Edmund answered. I sighed, "And you call yourself a King?" I looked up at him, "Maybe your time here is done. Maybe you don't deserve it."

"I deserve everything!" He shouted.

"And yet you want to commit murder!" I raised my voice. "I have seen murderous kings, and they were brought down. I prayed that there wouldn't be another one of them. I see now that I was wrong."

Edmund smiled and stood up, he walked towards Tilden and picked him up by the tail. The mouse looked at him with a smile, "Do you need something?" He said very respectfully and formally as if talking to a friend but somehow knowingly. "Yes," Edmund said, "I need you to die." He threw Tilden towards the railing, he did nothing to stop himself from falling towards the sea, he willingly accepted it, smiling, as if everything was all part of some plan of his.

I looked at him, he was smiling ear to ear and laughed manically. For a moment I thought he was possessed by the mist like before, but I couldn't see a change in his eyes or anything else about him, except his heart, which had turned vile and unpleasant. I ran towards him, I still had my blade out. I cut both of his ankles, he fell down flat on his back. I climbed on top of him, aiming the tip of my blade at his neck. "Sire," I said, my voice firm and demanding, "I do not wish to kill you, believe me it's the last thing I would ever do, but please, reconsider your-"

"Lucy's dead Reepicheep," Edmund said. "Lucy!"

"Don't you think I know that!" I shouted, "I want the bastard who did this to give up the ghost as much as you do, but in order to do that we need Tilden."

"Why!" Edmund said.

"Because," I said, "he's seen the Devil sire, and it's nothing like we've ever seen before." I got off him, "I fear that when Himmler brings his armies, it will be an evil legion, who will do anything to kill you." I looked at him, "I swore to protect you, and I will do it to the end, but you must trust me. We need Tilden, and we need Hyperion."

"Are you saying that you agree with him?" Edmund said standing up.

I nodded, "I love Eustace, I really do, he's like my brother, and I would never be able to live with myself if anything were to happen to him, but in order to save us, to stop this mist, we need that owl."

"We need Tilden, we need Hyperion!" Edmund called, getting frustrated as he began to pace, "Reepicheep, we don't need them. We need Aslan."

"He is with them." I said.

"How do you know?" He asked.

I looked towards the sun, it was rising, high noon was approaching. "He is always with the selfless, the just, the brave. He never leaves those who have faith and believe." I looked at him, giving him a smile of understanding. "He's always here, he knows what's going on, and he has sent his messengers. We're just not listening to them."

"Are you saying that they're-" Edmund said a bit confused and taking my allegory literally. I nodded, "Of course, for who else could they be?"

Edmund walked away, still steaming mad and furious with me. He wanted his revenge and to be honest I couldn't blame him.

I once fought a dragon who was terrorizing a friend of mine. Edmund was a different breed of dragon, one that was all power, all force, all hatred, and no sense. Dragons, the ones that are in storybooks, have a sense about themselves. Edmund didn't. He had forgotten who he was, he had been corrupted and tempted by revenge and bloodlust. Both are killer attributes, I strongly advise against them, for they never lead anywhere pleasant.


	3. Chapter 3: TwoDragons- The Second Kind

**Chapter Three: There are Two Kinds of Dragons- The Second Kind**

We came across a small island, here, we were told, we would find a sword that touches everything to gold. We got into the lifeboats, this time I took Tilden's jounral.

As we approached the mainland, I scanned the water, secretly hoping to find Tilden there, but alas, I found nothing. I turned towards the crew and saw Edmund, sitting across from me, giving me an evil stare. "Your Majesty," I said, "please don't look at me like that, you're making me nervous."

"Oh," Edmund said, rather sarcastically, not really giving a damn, "I'm sorry, is this any better?" He opened his eyes wider and smiled, putting on his 'I hate you right now' look. "No." I answered, and looked back to the sea, pulling out the journal and carefully holding it, flipped deeper into the book and began reading again.

_January 30th, 1943_

_The amount of human suffering is as numerous as the amount of water in all the oceans in the world. Day by day, my visitors become more frequent, and my work, more difficult to keep secret. The German doctor has been growing suspicious of me, I suspect he'll try and make a move sooner rather than later. _

_The place that I have found myself in has a name that comes from the Devil himself. It is a name that will forever be synonymous with pain, grief, and absolute death. Auschwitz. _

_Gustavo came here yesterday, him along with his family and the rest of the Jewish Poles who were at Warsaw. His face, which was usually lit up with enthusiasm, was now void of all color, and stripped of life, as if my friend had been replaced with an unreceptive clone, who's very nature spoke only of suffering and pain. He knew which line to stand in, he knew which line his family stood in, and which line his friends from Warsaw stood in. The same line that lead to fate. The same line that ended the road. The same one that was managed by a hatch lifter and an annoying crow. The same one that I would stand in if that German doctor decides to do anything about it..._

"Reepicheep!" Caspian called. "We've landed."

I put the journal away and landed on the beach. Unlike the beach that was on the first island this one was serine, ideal, a perfect place for a beach house. Caspian, Edmund, and roughly half of the crew walked along in one direction, while me, Tavros, and the other half remained with the boats.

I took the opportunity to continue reading the journal entry when I was stopped by Tavros. "Why do you have your nose stuck up an old book for?" He asked. I looked up at him, and, saying nothing, handed him the journal. "Read it aloud," I said, "for all of you to hear." Tavros scanned the page and shook his head. "No Reepicheep, it's too much to-"

"Read it!" I barked, "It's the only way you'll understand." I said a bit calmer.

Tavros nodded, "Which part?" He said.

"The middle paragraph." I answered. Tavros cleared his throat and began reading. "Inspections are weekly, and daily rations are scraps or sometimes worse. Some of us, myself included restored to dirt shoveling..."

_Which is simply the consumption of the mud, dirt, and grime that was on the ground. The people here are becoming thinner and thinner with each passing day, and the population of Jews dwindles by the thousands by the hour. The smoke chimney rises constantly, a never ending column of deceit, that towers over the likes of men, and destroys all hope and humility. We have become like savage beasts in cages, fights break out, theft is common, disease spreads like a plague. This is the end of the world, of human civilization. If we have stooped so low as to eliminate our own then we have come to the end of peace, and the beginning of all future wars. People have been saying that this war would be the one to end them all. That's what they said about the last war. 'The Great War' is what they called it. Now, this is World War. A war that consumes the world down the path of destruction, misery, and absolute end. My friends in the Allied Forces have reassured me that they're forming a plan to get me out. I told them, "No, you will not get me out of here, you will get the people out. They're the ones who are going through Hell, I'm just underneath it, I am unaffected by it, but am emotionally changed. Emotions can be controlled, but this madness, this human extermination on the body, this execution of innocence, that is something that cannot be changed as easily. Save them first."_

_A beating this morning. A beating last night, and one the day before that, and so on. Beatings are common. I try to take as many as I can, not because I enjoy them, or because I get into predicaments to where I deserve them, but because if I take all their time with the whip, then they won't have any to spare for anyone else. That's why every two weeks on the Monday, right before sunrise, at sunrise, at noon, at dusk, and at midnight I get whipped for every single prisoner that is in my care. 20. I've got to keep my eye on that German doctor. _

Tavros stopped reading and closed the journal. "This is all true?" He asked me. I nodded, "It's true Tavros, every single word written on that page was written by the hand of experience, someone who's lived through that horror. The only way that can be a lie as if he told me so himself, and by the look on his face, by the look of the place I dragged him from, those stories, those words, are very real."

Footsteps walking across the beach. Eustace. His clothes were tattered somewhat, his hair was matted and he looked sickly. On his arm was a gold band. He made it to the boat, but just barely. Tavros caught him, preventing him from falling in the sand. "There, there Mr. Pevensie," the bull said, "just breathe for me alright?" Eustace nodded and threw up on him, it was white, had chunks of meat, and smelled of fish. Tavros, good soul, didn't care, he just sighed very parental like and shrugged it off. Eustace's stomach dropped, it was clear that he was going to pass out and then puke when he woke up or puke and then pass out. Regardless he turned over got on the ground on all four and began puking again. As he did this however, he started to turn scale like, and vomit slowly began to turn into fire. Slowly, and by the look of it, rather painfully, Eustace began to turn into a dragon. His feet turned into claws, and then it just went up from there, he grew considerably larger in size, and his fire grew more fearsome. He screamed in pain as he uttered the last two human words he could think of, "Please stop." After that his face turned into scales and poof, Eustace was a dragon.

He breathed his fire, almost as if he was screaming at the world, and looked at us as if he'd never seen us before. "Now Eustace," I said with a stern voice, pulling out my blade, not taking any chances. "don't do anything irrational." Eustace just looked at me, and sighed. I felt sorry for him. I sheathed my blade.

"By the mane!" A voice shouted. Eustace turned around and Caspian and Edmund stood there, jaws agape, and minds confused. "What's a dragon doing here?" Caspian asked walking towards us. "This," I said gesturing towards the fire-breathing lizard, "Your Majesty is Eustace."

"You've got to be joking." Edmund said rolling his eyes, "Aunt Alberta will not be pleased." He said looking at Eustace with a bit of disdain. "Well we can't leave him here, and we can't fit him on the boat." Tavros, being ever observant remarked. "We'll make camp here tonight," Caspian said, "and be off in the morning." Caspian told half of the landing party to go back to the ship, leaving only himself, Tavros, Edmund, Eustace of course, and myself on the beach.

When nightfall came, the fire, provided by Eustace, was fueled and everyone was sound asleep. I started to dream about what would happen when we reach our destination, the End of the World when I was awoken by tears of regret and sadness. I opened my eyes and looked over, seeing Eustace, still a dragon crying. I walked over to him quietly, "Trouble sleeping?" I asked, whispering. Eustace turned his head away from me, not wanting to talk, or just completely hating me. I personally couldn't blame him. "There now, not all is as lost as it seems, why, this might be the beginning of a grand opportunity. Maybe it's a sign," he looked at me, hope in his eyes, a sense of understanding. "the beginning of a great destiny, something greater than you could ever imagine." We both looked up at the stars, wondering what was out there, what secrets they have, the lives they lived. "Stars are brilliant storytellers a dryad once told me." I said, my attempt at making idle small talk. "One of her stories was of a dragon named Draco. He was a fierce, nasty fellow too, killed twenty thousand men in a single day. But one day, after he was done torturing and slaughtering and such, he was banished to the stars, forever circling the world he destroyed staying in the same place, never to be moved." Eustace looked at me as if I were talking about him, I smiled, "It's only a story Eustace, it was written down centuries ago, maybe its eons old." He still looked at me, with sad, lonely eyes. "If I were talking about you just now, I would've added on how passionate you are, and I'm not bluffing when I say that there's a spark in you. That's something that most people don't have. Ambition. Drive. The zeal to be great. That's what my father said, 'Reepicheep, you've got to have ambition, drive, zeal to be great, and a good decent heart if you ever want to make in this world, for no one likes a sourhead.'" Eustace turned away again, not wanting to hear any more. I was very persistent however and I wouldn't sleep until I knew that he was alright. "Extraordinary things happen to extraordinary people Eustace." I said, finding the right words. "I believe that anyone can be great, but only certain people can be extraordinary, and you are no exception, and don't think I'm saying this just to butter you up and make myself feel any better because I'm not." I paused, took a breath. "I'm saying that because I know what it's like to be a dragon." He looked at me, he was searching for understanding, and I'm glad I could understand him. "I'm done some things that I'm not proud of, we all have, everybody, the whole world does things that they're not proud of, and that's on what great people do, they look past those things and move on to greater things. But the difference between great and extraordinary is this: extraordinary people seek and bring out the greatness in other men. That's what you are Eustace, your extraordinary. I know it may not seem or feel like it, but you've changed a lot of hearts here today. Including mine." I looked at him, "I know we haven't been on the best of footings, and maybe perhaps fallen off a few cliffs, but, I'm willing to let bygones be bygones if you are." I waited for a response, some type of motion from him. He placed one of his claws gently on my shoulder, looking at me with sincerity. I smiled and bowed again, "Accepted then."

After that to pass the time, since we were both up and restless, I told some of my stories. "You know, one time, Trufflehunter and I went to see an old friend of his, a ferret, Mr. Marley, and my father tagged along with us. Anyway when we got to Marley's place he said, 'Marley, do you ever clean up around here?' and Marley said, 'Well I'm a ferret, and ferrets aren't known to be very tidy so ask me again, do I ever clean up?'" I laughed a bit, "Do you know what my father said?" Eustace looked at me, I nodded, continuing, "He said, 'Marley, do you ever clean up around here?' and Marley slapped him in the face." I saw something that night I swore I've never seen before, a dragon smile.

We talked and stargazed all night and into the wee hours of the morning, and I can honestly say that I've never been more happier or more grateful to meet anyone before in my entire life. Here was a boy, merely twelve hours earlier a rather insufferable pain in the neck and in merely six hours was completely changed, both literally and psychologically. I could tell by how everything went that Eustace no longer hated me and had accepted me as a friend, I felt the same way. Friendship, something that we both needed, both wanted, and both can't live without. Every time after that, whenever I'd see him, I'd smile, and he'd smile back.


	4. Chapter 4: Arty

**Chapter Four: Arty**

**This chapter is a bit shorter.**

The morning sun rose slowly. Like a pristine beautiful maiden letting fellow suitors know that she was ready to marry. I stood and warmed my fur like I did every morning, and Eustace looked towards the horizon and smiled too, moving his tail slightly back and forth, content and rather happy.

I looked towards him, "The sun bids you well," I laughed to myself, thinking of my father, for it was one of his phrases. "as it should always." Eustace yawned and looked back at me, his eyes were like sapphires, magical and welcoming, the eyes of innocence. "We best wake them up now." I said, giving a smug smile, "Eustace, would you do the honors?" He complied and beat his tail heavily on the ground, making it shake and rattle followed by a deathly roar that pierced my ears. Everyone shot up, eyes open and their hairs standing on edge. I stood there laughing my head off, looking like a complete ass. "You should've seen your faces!"

"Reepicheep!" Edmund said, standing up, taking huge offense and walking towards me militantly. "That wasn't funny."

"Yes it was." I said still laughing a bit. "No it wasn't." Caspian retorted. I shrugged my shoulders and let the moment pass. We then gathered our belongings and prepared the boats for departure back to the ship. As I was getting on Eustace's head, he began to take off as if I was already situated. "Hold on now," I said with a laugh, "I know you're eager but wait for me first." Eustace rolled his eyes smiling as he did so and once I was ready he flew towards the ship. He was brilliant as if he had been a dragon his whole life. "Why Eustace," I said complimenting him, "you're a natural, are you sure you were never a dragon before?" I think I said too much for he started acting cocky and ridiculous, doing loops and going at immense speeds, he was going so fast that I thought I might fall off. "Slow down!" I shouted. "You're going to get us both killed." Eustace calmed down a bit after that and headed for the ship, setting me down nicely.

"Well, now I've seen everything." A familiar voice said with a hardy laugh. I looked over and there he was, standing in all his splendor, Tilden Wavell, smiling at me like a proud father would his son. "How did you-"

He cut me off. "Survive?" He smiled sheepishly, embarrassed a little, "Mermaids." He answered. "How long have you been here?" I asked him. "Just surfaced," Tilden replied, "apparently the sirens know more about this mist than we do."

"Really?" Caspian said, "Well what is it?"

Tilden turned towards Caspian and spoke, "Well sir to be frank, _it_ has a name, and it can only be stopped with the help of the one you call Aslan."

"What is this mist called?" Edmund asked. "Talking to me now?" Tilden said, looking at the boy as if he held a grudge against him. "Last I heard you wanted me dead, do those feelings still stand?"

"No, I've moved on."

Tilden sighed and lowered his head, "Then you are braver than I am, and think I thought I was brave." He laughed at himself and sat on the deck, "What a fool I was." He looked at me, "You still have it?" I nodded, assuming that he meant his journal. "I'm sorry," Tilden said, standing up again and continuing, "but I can't be here any longer."

"Why is that?" Tavros asked. "Because dear bull, I am in Edmund's words I am very guilty, very guilty indeed."

"Why is that?" I asked. "Because in about thirty seconds he's going to kill someone." A voice said. Tilden sighed, "You can come out Arty." He said. A blue mist, one that swirled like a whirlpool, began to appear out of nowhere and from this entity came a wolf. He was larger than most, his gray fur and soft blue eyes told me that he wasn't a predator, but his tail was very cautious. The wolf looked around at everyone, and even noticed Eustace who was hovering above. "Why hello there my fire breathing friend!" The wolf called. Eustace waved the best he could. The wolf laughed to himself and howled back in response, something that Eustace apparently understood for he breathed a bit of fire. "Good then." The wolf replied and turned back to the rest of us, "Allow me to introduce myself," he said, "my name is Artemis." He bowed, low, very low to the ground, he bowed so low that I thought he was going to go through the wood. Caspian looked him over and nodded, satisfied with him, "Pleased to meet you," he smiled a bit, "Artemis."

"Is something funny?" The wolf asked feeling a bit insulted. "It's just your name sir," Caspian said, "it's just so feminine." Artemis glared at him, "I'm not to be made a fool of King Caspian of his father. Or rather is it just Caspian the bastard son?"

"What did you just say?" Caspian replied, pulling out his blade. "You have ears and you're not deaf so you heard what I said." Artemis got into a the best defensive stance I've ever seen. His hind legs were planted firmly and spread apart at the exact width, his front forepaws were focused, his head was low, his eyes out in front. It was marvelous if you're coming from a teaching perspective. Artemis barked like a dog would. "Arty!" Tilden shouted, "Control yourself!" He said, this time in an authoritarian, almost militant voice. The wolf stood down and bowed reverently to the mouse who simply looked at him. "Arty," he said, "tell me what's going on, you said that you were here to stop me from making a mistake?"

"Yes," Artemis nodded, and sat up straight. "The mist is coming for us all, but death will come much sooner than that." He looked towards Tilden, "You will kill the last Pevensie Mr. Wavell," he paused and looked around, "but it will not be his own doing. He will be possessed by evil."

"Himmler?" I asked. "Himmler is dead." Artemis replied, "I've made sure of it. As for the rest of the adventure, Master Reep, I suggest you stay close to Hyperion."

"How can I? Hyperion's dead, or at least, presumably."

The wolf walked over to me and breathed on me. I was expecting it to be awful, but it was actually sweet and smelled of a pine forest. I coughed a little but took it in. "Hyperion," he said looking directly at me, "can you hear me?" Silence. I stood there, wondering what it was Arty, I take it to be his nickname (personally I would take it too if Artemis were my birthright) was doing. "Yes," I said speaking in the owl's voice, "I can hear you just fine." I shook my head, thinking I was getting sea sick. "What just happened?" I asked, my own voice now. "I have transferred Hyperion's spirit to you." Arty replied smiling from ear to ear. "How is that possible?" I asked giving him a skeptical look.

Simple Reepicheep," Artemis said, "I'm a spirit wolf. It's kind of like my job. Oh and by the way," he turned towards Edmund now, "you have about thirty seconds to live."

Tilden stood there, looking at all of us solemnly, "I'm sorry," he said looking toward me, "I'm afraid you're going to have to deal with him now."

"Him?" I asked a bit confused.

Tilden collapsed on the floor, whatever transformation was happening, it was happening now. "The one they call-" He stopped in mid-sentence and became a dark hooded figure with a skeletal appearance. I really don't need to go any further now do I?

"Get out of here," Arty said, "he's coming for you next."

"What do you mean he's coming for me next?" I asked him. "Don't you get it?" The wolf moved closer towards him, "This is the end of days, death has been released."

"What about the Germans?"

"The Germans," Artemis said, "the Germans have already won." I stood there, a bit confused, for I thought that the Germans weren't winning anything except a bad reputation of being led by a psychopathic pill. Tilden, or really Death at this point, was saying something along the lines of killing Edmund and taking over the world. I zoned in and out of the conversation so I won't go into details."What do you mean Arty!" I yelled, trying to make juggle between the two scenarios. The wolf sighed, somberly he said, "The war's over, we lost."


	5. Chapter 5: Sacrifice Everything

**Chapter Five: Sacrifice Everything**

"What do you mean we've lost!" I screamed, angry at myself, angry at Arty for standing in my way. I watched as Death wielded his scythe and looked at Edmund with a namesake state. "Come on you miserable rodent!" He cried. "Excuse me Artemis," I said, "but I have business to take care of." I walked past the wolf and walked very militantly toward the violence. Edmund drew out his sword, prompting the rest of us to do so. Death looked at me, leaned down and smiled, "So," he said, the voice of his father, "you're the one who's causing trouble for me?"

"If that's how you interpret true justice then yes, I cause you a great deal of trouble." I answer. "What do you think you're going to accomplish?" He asked me, "You think that you can save them all?"

"He doesn't have to." Arty said. Death looked his way and stood up. "Ah," Death said bowing sarcastically, "the great wolf has returned." He laughed, "If I remember correctly," Death continued, ignoring Edmund, walking past me, and getting into Artemis' face. "you were the one who killed that badger? What was it, forced drowning?" Badger? A list of names ran through my head, there was only one badger that I could think of. "That badger had a name and he was my friend." the wolf said defensively growling at Death who just took it all in, "If I recall correctly," Artemis continued, "you were the one who possessed me you little bastard." Death smiled, "I take that as a compliment."

He turned towards Edmund and stretched out his hand, his skeletal hand that reeked of rotting flesh and terror so vile that it filled the air with an unspeakable odor. I stood in the way of him and his sought after prize. "Whatever it is you have with him," I said, "you can take it to me first." Death kneeled down at my eye level and held out his finger, touching the tip of my blood. "Sharp," he said, "interesting barrier, but sadly not enough to convince me of anything."

"Convince you of what?" I asked, not really caring.

"If you're worth my time or not." Death said. "You may not think so of him," Caspian said, "but what about me?" Death smiled, "Tempting situation."

"Your Majesty," I said, "I suggest to you not to get involved with this lunatic. Forgive me for saying that he's my problem."

"Oh really?" Death said, questioning me. "How so?"

"Because," I answered, "the weights you have on the world are too great for anyone to ignore, you _should_ be my problem."

"You didn't really answer the question," Death remarked, "how are you _exactly_ my problem?"

I pointed my blade at his neck, with every fiber of my being I wanted to end his miserable life, then I remembered...you can't kill Death.

"Reepicheep," Artemis said warningly, "don't do what I think you're about to do."

"Trust me Arty," I said, "I know what I'm doing." I lied. I had absolutely no idea. This wasn't some crazed psychopathic German anymore, this was Death himself. The bane of all existence, the reason for all madness and the father of all lies. I was literally facing the end of everything and I was behaving as if it were a commonplace fight at a bar. Looking back on it, I realized how stupid and ignorant I was not to be paying attention to the real details of the matter.

While Death was busy toying with me, Edmund was busy getting ready to toy with Death. He and Tavros in particular, along with Leviticus, a centaur who was brilliant in just about everything he does, positioned themselves for an ambush. Speaking only by eye contact, the trio was about to finish the devil off with an axe, a sword and a bow before Death turned around suddenly and sprang forth his diseases. They were flesh eating locusts. Squirming and vicious creatures with nasty teeth with a lethal venomous bite. Screams of torture followed. The three brave souls were no match for them, and I just stood and watched. That was really all any of us could do.

Slowly their flesh slowly tore off, behaving like wax, their eyeballs were devoured, their tissues and muscles disintegrated. All the while they screamed. Frustrated, I tried to move forward, save them, do something to stop this torture, but I couldn't. Something was holding me back.

"Reepicheep," Artemis said. "I'm sorry." he pounced on me, pinning me down with his forepaws, I was facing the deck humiliated. The screaming transformed into shrill cries of deliverance. The flesh, fur, and hair burned and fell into large pools of soup. Bone structure was non-existent.

"Artemis what are you doing!" I screamed. "Can't you see that they're dying!"

The wolf nodded, "I know, because I'm the one that's doing it."

"_You're_ doing this?" I asked, feeling betrayed him, "Tilden trusted you like a brother, you betrayed his trust, and so you have betrayed me."

"It's complicated Reepicheep," Arty answered, "I hope one day I'll be able to explain it to you."

Death leaned back toward me and got into my face. "Thank you Arty for your gracious contribution, I'll be sure to bring your friend to you promptly."

I looked at both of them, "What are you dealing in?"

"Hyperion of course!" Death cried with a smile.

"You're selling me out Arty? Is that it?" I asked him, looking at the wolf with great disdain.

"I'm sorry that it had to come to this Reepicheep."

Death sneered and summoned in his hand, the bane of my existence, a large staff of curses that reeked of his realm. Artemis moved out of the way, normally I would've moved out of the way, but circumstances prevented me from doing so.

"I enjoy killing bastards like you!" Death cried. "Time to finish your journey rat." He stabbed me in the torso. The blood rushed to my head, I looked up at him and smiled.

"I'm a mouse you miserable tyrannical bitch. I suggest you remember that." I replied.

"Oh, and why is that?" Death said.

"Because if anything, you're going to answer to me, you've brought me misery, suffering, and pain. But there is one thing I can thank you for." My voice became faint, I began to exit this world and enter another, I thought I was passing over. "You gave me prescience on what we should do to stop menaces like yourself." I said to him, "Go on then, bring me your legions, let me fight them all."

Death laughed, and with a wave of his cloak engulfed me in blackness, I lost my breath, my soul was taken away from me. The last words I hear was, "With pleasure."


End file.
